Why Choose Russell Sage’s Health Sciences Bachelor’s Program

A Health Sciences degree will give you a strong foundation for many different professional positions in health care. Download our pre-health career tip sheets for high school students interested in Pre-med, Pre-Physical Therapy, or Pre-Occupational Therapy programs. 

Tailor your degree to your goals with specific concentrations in Pre-PT/OT (with accelerated options), an Exercise Science concentration, or open electives in areas like Spanish, psychology, public health, or medical technology.

Access assured or early acceptance into Russell Sage’s Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Occupational Therapy, or Doctor of Occupational Therapy programs. Russell Sage Health Sciences alumni have also been accepted to medical schools.

Gain insight into different professions through guest speakers, hands-on coursework, and internships. Internship placements have included physical and occupational therapy settings, prosthetics and orthotics labs, athletic departments, and more.

BEST Colleges U.S. News & World Report - Top College for Social Mobility 2026

Top 25

For seven consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Russell Sage among the top 25 national universities for social mobility — proof that our students see real returns. Learn more about financial aid at Sage.

BEST Colleges U.S. News & World Report - Top College for Best Value 2026

Best Value

With first-year merit scholarships of $21,000 to $26,000 and one of the lowest private college tuition rates in New York State, Russell Sage ranks #36 nationally for Best Value (U.S. News & World Report 2026).

Experiential Learning and Immersive Coursework  

Learn Through Hands-On Coursework and Labs

Interactive anatomy and virtual dissection tools provide 3D, hands-on learning in class and on your own device, reducing textbook costs. You will take courses focused on patient communication, medical ethics, and culture and health, and have opportunities to participate in faculty-mentored research.

Students also have access to shared facilities such as clinical simulation spaces, nutrition labs, and more.

View Program Catalog for Course Requirements

Healthcare and Industry Networking in New York’s Capital Region

Russell Sage’s Troy and Albany campuses are close to major healthcare organizations and public health agencies. Students pursue internships and experiential learning opportunities with organizations such as:

  • NYS Department of Health 
  • Albany Medical Center
  • St. Peter’s Health Partners
  • County health departments, schools, and community organizations
  • Health-related startups

Access Visible Body Software in the Lab and at Home

See how Russell Sage’s undergraduate A&P lab sections use Visible Body software on giant touchscreens that flip from upright displays to flat tabletops, letting you study and dissect anatomical systems in ways textbooks can’t match. Best of all, students receive free software access to continue studying from home.

Santino Sementilli

“My success in my medical sales job directly out of college can be attributed to the knowledge I learned in my anatomy and physiology classes. Coming into the role with a strong foundation in these areas propelled me up the ladder of success quickly.”

Santino Sementilli ’22
Territory Manager, Zoetek Medical

Affordability, Admissions, and Transferring

Affording a Health Sciences Degree

We understand that cost and value are top concerns when choosing a college. That’s why we work with every student as an individual in the admission process — whether they’re a transfer student or a student coming straight out of high school.

What to Know:

  • Russell Sage prioritizes college access and affordability. We have been included on U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges for Social Mobility list for seven consecutive years.
  • 100% of incoming, full-time undergraduates at Russell Sage receive financial aid.
  • Transfer merit scholarships are generous compared to other colleges – starting at $19,000 a year.
  • In many cases, Russell Sage is more affordable than SUNY or other private schools.
  • We want to make every transfer students’ credits count, just one of the reasons we’ve been named to Phi Theta Kappa’s Transfer Honor Roll for six straight years.

Don’t forget! You have to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid — or FAFSA — to receive a complete financial aid package from any college. 

Apply to Russell Sage’s Health Sciences Degree Program

Full application details and next steps are available through the Admissions Office.

Start Your Application

Transfer to Russell Sage’s Health Sciences Degree Program

Russell Sage welcomes transfer students and provides a supportive and straightforward transfer process. There is a pathway to this program from the Exercise Science, A.S. degree at Hudson Valley Community College.

Explore Transfer Experience

What Can I Do with a Health Sciences Degree?

Check Out Our Student and Alumni Success Stories

A Health Sciences degree prepared these Sage graduates for success.

Explore Careers with a Health Sciences Degree

Recent Sage graduates are working as physical therapists, in medical device sales and in a prosthetics and orthotics lab.

Help people recover mobility and function after injury or illness.

Why Russell Sage: Start as an undergrad and move straight into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program (accelerated or traditional timelines available).

Assist individuals to develop, recover, or maintain daily living skills.

Why Russell Sage: Accelerated 3+2 or traditional paths available; real-world clinical exposure

Design, test, and implement devices that improve patient care.

Why Russell Sage: Internships and industry connections provide direct career preparation

Health Sciences Grad Shauna Wheeler

“A highlight of my job is seeing patients who may come in unable to walk without pain or discomfort, and, after some adjustments to their prostheses, they leave the appointment walking comfortably.”

Shauna Wheeler ’17
Clinical assistant for the prosthetists and orthotists
Faculty - Health Science

Frequently Asked Questions — Health Sciences Bachelor’s Degree

Yes! Sage welcomes transfer students and makes the process smooth and straightforward. Phi Theta Kappa has recognized Russell Sage on its Transfer Honor Roll for six consecutive years, honoring four-year colleges that provide an exceptionally smooth transfer experience. Health Sciences students can also transfer through a formal articulation agreement with the Exercise Science A.S. program at Hudson Valley Community College.

Health Sciences majors complete a mix of science, health, and professional courses to prepare for careers in healthcare. Core courses include biology, anatomy and physiology, physics, medical terminology, nutrition, exercise physiology, pathology, and research methods. Students also take classes in psychology, lifespan development, medical ethics, and culture and health to strengthen patient care skills.

With 36 elective credits, students can customize their coursework to align with specific career goals in areas like clinical care, public health, or wellness.

A Health Sciences bachelor’s degree provides the academic foundation required for many health-related graduate programs. Coursework includes prerequisites for physical therapy and occupational therapy, including anatomy and physiology with labs, biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and statistics.

At Russell Sage College, qualified students may begin as undergraduates and move directly into Sage’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program or its master’s or doctoral programs in Occupational Therapy.

In addition, 36 elective credits in the Health Sciences program give students the flexibility to fulfill the prerequisites for other graduate programs at Sage, including nutrition, health services administration, counseling, community psychology, education, and more

Health Sciences majors at Russell Sage have access to internships, clinical observations, and hands-on learning opportunities throughout New York’s Capital Region. With campuses in Troy and Albany, Sage is close to major healthcare providers, public health agencies, and community organizations that welcome students as interns, volunteers, and for job shadowing visits. 

Students complete internships and field experiences at organizations such as Albany Medical Center, St. Peter’s Health Partners, the New York State Department of Health, county health departments, schools, health-related startups, and community-based organizations. These placements allow students to explore different career paths while building professional skills and connections.

Many students also gain leadership experience on campus by serving as undergraduate teaching assistants. In these roles, students work alongside faculty to help lead lab sessions, support classmates, and strengthen their own understanding of course material—experience that can be especially valuable for students planning to pursue graduate study in health professions.

Related Resources — Bachelor of Health Sciences

Explore Related Posts

Have questions about a Health Sciences degree?

John Tine
John Tine
Assistant Professor of Biology and Health Sciences
tinej3@sage.edu
Kelli Hamm
Kelli Hamm, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Health Sciences
tamvak@sage.edu
Marci Murphy
Marci Murphy
Assistant Professor
farrem@sage.edu
Andrea Dievendorf
Andrea Dievendorf
Assistant Professor of Biology and Health Sciences
dievea@sage.edu

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